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Two Auckland dog owners have been prosecuted by the SPCA for neglecting a starving dog chained up in their backyard.
The pair, a man and a woman, have now been disqualified from owning animals for five years after appearing in the Auckland District Court for sentencing.
An SPCA inspector responded to a call of concern about the dog, Saint, in July 2022 at the woman’s Panmure address.
Saint was found chained to a kennel in the woman’s backyard without access to water upon arrival at the property.
“He was severely emaciated, with his skull, spine, hip and rib bones all prominent. He had pressure wounds across his body, including one on his right hip that was open and raw,” a statement from the SPCA read.
Saint was immediately taken into possession by the inspector and treated by two veterinarians, who determined Saint was showing severe signs of fear, anxiety and stress with growling, bared teeth and a tucked tail.
Saint was found chained to a kennel in an Auckland woman’s backyard without access to water, with his skull, spine, hip and rib bones all prominent. Photo / SPCA
He was significantly underweight and showed clear signs of muscle loss.
“The vets agreed his open wound and pressure sores, combined with his poor body condition, meant he would have been suffering distress and discomfort for months,” the statement read.
“Blood tests also revealed Saint had a very high amount of strongyle eggs, and he was suffering from potentially life-threatening anaemia due to the intestinal parasites, infection, and dietary deficiency.”
SPCA said the female defendant told inspectors she thought Saint was skinny but “didn’t think anything was wrong with him”. She also noted he had stopped eating the biscuits she had always fed him.
The male defendant, who was Saint’s owner, admitted his condition was “pretty shocking” but did nothing about it, SPCA said.
Saint, along with another dog owned by the pair, was voluntarily surrendered to SPCA.
The pair pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to alleviate any unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress being suffered by the animal. They were respectively sentenced to periods of supervision and intensive supervision.
SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said it was appalling the owners knew Saint was suffering but took no action to help him.
“The level of neglect that Saint experienced at the hands of his carers is absolutely shocking, and he simply deserved better,” Westwood said. “I struggle to imagine the pain and hopelessness this innocent animal felt as he suffered for months.
“SPCA advocates for a change in legislation that would strengthen its powers when dealing with dogs that are life-chained, which has both physical and mental impacts on these helpless animals.
“We really hope to see some progress from the Government soon, so we can step in to help other chained dogs before they reach this state of neglect,” Westwood said.
